Fluoroalcohol

Fluoroalcohols are organofluorine compounds consisting of an alcohol functional group with at least one C-F bond. These compounds often have distinctive solvent properties.^[1]

Perfluoroalcohols

Most primary and secondary perfluoroalcohols are unstable, for example trifluoromethanol eliminates hydrogen fluoride, forming carbonyl fluoride.^[2] This reaction is reversible.^[3]

CF₃OH → COF₂ + HF

Stable perfluorinated alcohols include nonafluoro-tert-butyl alcohol ((CF₃)₃COH) and pentafluorophenol (C₆F₅OH).

Partially fluorinated alcohols

Numerous partially fluorinated alcohols are known and have useable stabilities. Trifluoroethanol and hexafluoroisopropanol are used as solvents in research.^[4] Fluorotelomer alcohols are precursors to perfluorocarboxylic acids. Pirkle's alcohol is used a chiral shift reagent in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.